Virat Kohli says that MS Dhoni is still involved with India cricket team
During a pre-match press conference, skipper Virat Kohli said that MS Dhoni is still ‘on the same page’ with India cricket team. He said that his former mentor is still a valuable asset for the team despite Rishabh Pant being groomed by the management.
‘One great thing about him (Dhoni) is that he thinks for Indian cricket. And whatever we (team management) think, he is on the same page. The alignment is there. The kind of mindset he has had about grooming youngsters and giving them opportunities, and he is still the same person’, said the skipper.
Post World Cup, the wicket-keeper took a 2-month sabbatical to serve the military. Dhoni served in Kashmir for 15 days to perform service tasks.
‘Look, experience is always going to matter whether you like it or not. I mean there are a numerous number of times people have given up on sportsmen and they have proved people wrong and he (Dhoni) has done that many times in his career as well. As long as he is available and continues to play, he is going to be very valuable’, added Kohli.
Kohli also clarified the absence of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuvzendra Chahal in the T20 roster. He said that the two players’ batting skills need to be more polished.
‘That was one of the reasons also to give opportunities to the guys who have done well in the domestic format and the T20 format and in the IPL also. So I think it's about finding the best balance that we can as a side and not necessarily stick to one kind of combination. If all teams across the world are batting till No. 9, 10, why can't we’.
India and South Africa began their first T20I match yesterday. The teams are set to play three sets of T20I until September 22.
T20 is the shortest format of cricket. To know more about different formats of cricket, read articles on Betwala.
READ MORE: A Beginner's Guide on How to Play Cricket
